Doughnut machine



2L l@ y P. J. ToEws 3999 DoUGHNUT MACHINE Filed Sept. 24, 1945 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 A ZZ, 78 VENToR.

1g' i 74, 2 @5J Peter J oews ATTORNE. 'YS

Nov,'21, 1950 P. J. 'roEws 2,530,920

DOUGHNUT MACHINE Filed sept. 24, 1945 s sheets-sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

Peter J. Toews K AT TURN ISYS P. J. TOEWS DOUGHNUT MACHINE Nov. 2l, 1950 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed Sept. 24, 1945 .s al Mw ms J. W.. P!

Patented Nov. 21, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DOUGHNUT MACHINE Peter 5. Toews, Minneapolis, Minn., assignor to Dough-King, inc., Minneapolis, Minn.,`a cor poration of Minnesota Application September 24, 1945, Serial No. 618,234

8 Claims. i;

My invention relates to doughnut machines and particularly to doughnut machines in which the doughnuts are progressed along a way through the flow of the cooking liquid.

An object of the invention resides in providing a receptacle for use in conjunction with such a machine and in which crumbs: traveling along the way may be collected.

Another object of the invention resides in providing the receptacle withV a rear wall and a bottom andl inA forming one of said. walls reticulate.

A specific object of the invention resides in forming the rear wall ofthe receptacle Vreticulate andl through which the cooking liquid passes in returning to the impelling` means for the cooking liquid.

Another object of the invention resides in providing an arm. extending from a portion of the receptacle and engaging a portion of the cooking kettle7 said arm obstructing the passage of doughnuts along the way when the receptacle is improperly inserted in the way.

An object of the invention resides. in constructing the doughnut machine with an ejector and in arranging said arm so that the same interferes with the proper operation of the ejector when the receptacle is improperly inserted in the way.

Other objects of theV invention. reside in the novel combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter illustrated and/or described.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a doughnut machine illustrating an embodiment of my invention.

Fig. 2 is an elevational sectional View takenv substantially on line 2*-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is av View similar to Fig. 2v showing the crumb receptacle improperly positioned Within the kettle. Y

Fig. el is a perspectiveV View of the crumb re' ceptacle removed from the doughnut machine.

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 1.

l have found, in the operation of doughnut machines similar to that disclosed in Fig. 1, that crumbs frequently iind their way into the impeller and prevent the proper circulation of the cooking liquidthrough the machine. I have also found that a vertical screen leading up to the entranceA to the impelleribecomes readily clogged with crumbs whileVv the` machine is in` operation, but as soon as the machine isstopped, the crumbs are washed back again and can not be readily Y at a time to an ejector 32.

removed. The instant invention provides a ree ceptacle for the crumbs in which the same are collected and by means of which the crumbs may be readily removed from the machine.

For the purpose of illustrating my invention, I have shown in the drawings a doughnut machine of the type in which the doughnuts are progressed along a way through the iow of the cooking liquid. This doughnut machine comprises a case l0, in which is supported a kettle Il formed with an elongated depression l2 therein which provides a circuitous way along which the doughnuts travel. This kettle has a top I3, a bottom i4 and side walls i5 which bottom and side Walls form the way I2. The way l2 has a run I6 which extends along one side of the kettle and is formed with a looped portion l1 which terminates in another run I3 extending along and parallel to the run it. The run I8 discharges into a reservoir l@ from which the cooking liquid is drawn by means of an impeller 2l. The said impeller raises the cooking liquid in a shaft 22 from which it iiows along a curved run 23 of the way I2 and which discharges into the run I6.

At the end of the case l0 at which the impeller 2l is situated, is provided a table 24 which covers the reservoir I9 and the run 23 of the Way l2. Supported by this table is a motor 25 which drives the impeller 2|. A container 25 for dough is also mounted on the table 24 and is provided with a cutter 21 by means of which formed raw doughnuts are extrudedl and deposited through the table 24 and into the run I5 of the way l2. The doughnuts entering said run are progressed along the way l2 by means of the iiow of the cooking liquid produced by the impeller 2|. These doughnuts travel until they reach a control device 28 which periodically controls the passage of the doughnuts, one at a time to a turner 29 situated in the portion I1 of the way l2. The inverted doughnuts continue their passage along the way I2 until they reach a second control device 3l which again feeds the doughnuts one This ejector discharges the cooked doughnuts from the machine.

The ejector 32 consists of a number of movable blades 14 which, at their upper ends, are supported on and driven by a number of cranks 'l5 carried by a shaft 35. These blades extend downwardly into the cooking liquid and are slidably supported on a rest 16 mounted on the bottom of the kettle. Operating in conjunction with the. blades i4 are stationary blades 'Vl which are 1 disposed between the blades l@ and which are supported at their upper ends on the shaft 35 at localities between the cranks 15 and at their lower ends on the rest 16. Both the blades 14 and 11 are partly confined within a trough 19 disposed in the run I5 of the way I2. This trough has a bottom 19 and side walls 8|.

A transmission mounted in a case 39 supported on case I and driven by a motor IBI! drives the shaft 35 which operates ejector 32. This transmission, in addition, periodically oscillates a shaft 33 which operates the control devices 28 and 3|. Still another shaft 34, driven by the transmission within the case 30 operates the cutter 21.

Resting on the case II) are four uprights 36, 31, 38 and 39 which support a hood not shown. At the edges of the various uprights are provided guides 44 in which are slidably mounted windows 45 by means of which access to the interior of the doughnut machine may be had.

Between the run I8 and the reservoir I9 of the way I2 is provided a vertical screen 5I which prevents the crumbs formed along said way from entering the impeller 2I.

The invention proper consists of a receptacle or basket 59, best shown in Fig. 4. This recep tacle comprises a bottom 52, a rear wall 53 and side walls 54 and 55. These various walls are preferably made of wire screen or some other reticulate material and are attached to edging members 51, 58, 59, 6I, 62, 63 and 64 which are welded or brazed together at their corners to form a rigid construction. It'will be noted that the portion of the receptacle 59 opposite the rear end wall 53 is open. When the receptacle is placed within the run I8 of way I2, the 'same is situated so that the open portion of the receptacle extends away from the inlet to the impeller 2|, as shown in Fig. 2. This causes the crumbs to collect in the receptacle instead of piling up in front of the screen I. When the receptacle is properly positioned, the upper portion of the same is closed by the bottom 19 of trough 18, a Y

shown in Fig. 2.

In the construction of the kettle I9, the bottom 65 thereof is formed with an offset 66 in which the bottom 52 of the receptacle 50 is received. The two walls 54 and 55 are spaced apart a distance somewhat greater than the width of the way I2 in which the receptacle is located. This is for the purpose of permitting the cooking liquid to drain along the side walls 54 and 55 as well as along the other walls thereof. To close the space between these walls and the walls of the receptacle, flanges 61 are formed on the edging strips 63 which extend up to the side walls 68 of the kettle II.

For the purpose of holding the receptacle 59 in proper position within the offset 66 in the bottom 65 of kettle I I, an arm 69 is employed which is attached to the edging member 64 of the receptacle 53 and which extends rearwardly therefrom. This arm has an up-bent portion 1I braced with respect to the arm 69 by means of a brace 19. The portion 1I of arm 69 engages a portion of the kettle indicated at 12 in Fig. 1 which forms a reentrant angle in which the said arm is received. This arm and the off-set 66 hold the receptacle 50 from endwise movement in the way I2, while the flanges 61 hold the said receptacle from lateral movement within the way.

In order to lift the receptacle with the crumbs Y retained within the same, a bar 13 which serves Yas a bail is provided which extends across the 1 V-two edgingY members 58. A hook hooked under i this barrserves tolift the receptacle'with the crumbs therein from the way I2. 'Ihis bar or bail is located between the center of gravity of receptacle 50 and its forward edge so that the open end of the receptacle tilts upwardly when the receptacle is raised by means of said bar.

As will be noted in Figs. 2 and 3 of the drawings, the ejector blades 14 and 11 extend downwardly into the cooking liquid and are supported at their lower end on the rest 16. The portion 1I of the arm 69 extending upwardly therefrom is of such dimensions as to bring the uppermost portion thereof below the ejector blades 14 and 11 when the device is properly placed within the way I2. In Fig. 3, I have shown the receptacle improperly placed within the kettle. It will be here noted that the portion of arm 59 extends upwardly above the blades 14 and 11. In order to install the receptacle 55, it becomes necessary to remove the blades 14 and 11 from the doughnut machine. In the event that the receptacle 50 is improperly positioned, the portion 1I of the arm 69 extends upwardly above the elevation of the blades and prevents the installation of all of the blades. The operator then knows that the receptacle has been improperly installed and proceeds to reverse the same before completing the assembly of the ejector blades. In the event that the blades are omitted Where the member 1I extends through the ejector, this member would interfere with the travel of the doughnuts upwardly along the ejector and would immediately indicate that something was wrong with the machine.

My invention is highly advantageous in that it prevents accumulation of doughnut crumbs at the screen in advance of the flow impeller. With my invention, the crumbs are collected in a separatebasket which is readily removed from the machine to rid the machine of the crumbs. With my invention, a maximum amount of reticulate surface is provided so that clogging rarely occurs. By means of the position of the arm employed, the device can not be improperly installed within the machine without the attendant becoming aware of the face. My invention can be constructed at a nominal expense and can be readily installed in existing machines without alterations or reconstruction thereof.

Changes in the specific form of my invention, as herein described, may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Having described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. In a doughnut machine, a kettle for cooking liquid formed with a circuitous way along which the doughnuts travel, impelling means for causing the ow of the cooking liquid along said way, a removable reticulate member extending across said way for intercepting crumbs directed toward the impelling means, and a wall structure forming in conjunction with the reticulate member a receptacle for receiving the crumbs intercepted by the reticulate member, said wall structure being attached to said reticulate member and being removable therewith said receptacle having an opening through which the cooking liquid enters the receptacle.

2. In a doughnut machine, a kettle for cooking liquid formed with a circuitous way along which the doughnuts travel, impelling means for causing the flow of the cooking liquid along said way, a receptacle for crumbs open at one end and insertable into the way with the open end either facing or extending away from the impelling means, and a member issuing from the receptacle and engaging a portion of the kettle to hold the receptacle in a position with the open end thereof extending away from the impelling means, an ejector for removing doughnuts from the way, said member when the receptacle is placed in its other position forming an obstruction adapted to engage said ejector to prevent the successful operation thereof.

3. In a doughnut machine, a kettle for cooking liquid formed with a circuitous way along which the doughnuts travel, impelling means for causing the iiow of the cooking liquid along said way, a receptacle for crumbs open at one end and insertable into the way with the open end either facing or extending away from the impelling means and an arm issuing from said receptacle and engaging a portion of the kettle when the receptacle is placed within the way with its open end extending away from the impelling means, an ejector in said way including a movable member, said arm being in a position to engage said movable member and interfere with the movement thereof when the receptacle is placed in the kettle with its open end facing the impelling means.

4. In a doughnut machine, a kettle for cooking liquid formed with a horizontal circuitous way along which the doughnuts travel, impelling means for causing the flow of the cooking liquid along said way, a receptacle for crumbs disposed within the way and having a rear wall and a bottom wall on which crumbs may rest, Said receptacle having reticulate side walls spaced from the adjacent walls of the way and being open at the front end and anges formed on said side walls and extending up to the adjacent walls of the Way to close said space at the open end of the receptacle to prevent the passage of crumbs therebetween.

5. In a doughnut machine, a kettle for cooking liquid formed with a horizontal circuitous way along which the doughnuts travel, impelling means for causing the flow of the cooking liquid along said way, a receptacle for crumbs disposed within the Way and having a rear wall, side Walls and a bottom and being open at the portion thereof opposite said rear wall, certain of said walls being reticulate and forming passageways communicating with the way beyond the receptacle, and a bail connected to said side walls at a locality horizontally spaced from the center of gravity thereof and toward the open portion of the receptacle to cause the open portion of the receptacle to move upwardly when the receptacle is removed by the bail to prevent spilling of the crumbs Within the receptacle.

6. In a doughnut machine, a kettle for cooking liquid formed with a circuitous way along which the doughnuts travel, impelling means for causing the flow of the cooking liquid along said way, a discharge device located in said way and having a chute extending transversely of the Way, a receptacle for crumbs disposed within the way and having side walls, a rear Wall and a bottom and open at the end opposite the rear Wall and at the top, a portion of said receptacle being reticulate and forming passageways communicating with the way beyond the receptacle, said side Walls extending up to said chute and said chute closing said receptacle at the top thereof.

7. In a doughnut machine, a kettle for cooking liquid formed with a horizontal circuitous way along which the doughnuts travel, impelling means for causing the flow of the cooking liquid along said way, a receptacle for crumbs disposed within the way and having a lateral wall structure and a bottom connected therewith, said wall structure having an opening through which the cooking liquid passes into said receptacle, a portion of said receptacle being reticulate and means for removably supporting said receptacle in said way.

8. In a doughnut machine, a kettle for cooking liquid formed with a circuitous way along which the doughnuts travel, impelling means for causing the ow of the cooking liquid along said way, an abutment in said way near said impelling means, a receptacle for crumbs open at one end and insertable into the way with the open end either facing or extending away from the impelling means, and a stop member issuing from the receptacle and adapted to engage said abutment to hold the receptacle in position when the receptacle is disposed with the open end thereof extending away from the impelling means, said member extending above the elevation of the cooking liquid and when the receptacle is placed in its other position forming an obstruction to the passage of doughnuts along the way.

PETER J. TOEWS.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 941,009 Cauchois Nov. 23, 1909 1,666,019 McCarthy Apr. 10, 1928 1,996,434 'ODowd Apr. 2, 1935 2,177,193 Watts Oct. 24, 1939l 2,290,043 Gunsolley July 14, 1942 2,353,024 Gardner July 4, 1944 

